Chapter 60 GAME OF PAWNS
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ADELINE
Charles led me through the dimly lit hallway, his footsteps unhurried, his presence commanding. I watched him from behind. He was indeed a powerful man. His aura executed horror and dominance, someone you’d never want to come face to face with.
I followed, my expression blank, though inside, my mind was racing. Charles was a man of power, but more than that, he was a man of calculation. He didn’t do anything without a reason. I had searched about him but nothing seemed suspicious. He was a powerful and famous man of France.
So why was he helping her?
As we entered his office, the rich scent of leather and aged whiskey filled the air. The space was grand, yet minimalistic—dark wooden shelves lined with books, a large mahogany desk, and deep brown leather chairs that exuded wealth and control.
The only source of light was a dim chandelier hanging above, casting a soft glow across the room.
I let out a sigh and eased myself before I took a seat on the couch, crossing my legs and arms, my expression unreadable as I stared at him.
Charles, on the other hand, moved leisurely, pouring himself a glass of whiskey before taking a seat across from me. His smirk remained intact, as if he already knew what was going through my mind.
“Well?” I asked, my voice steady.
“What is it that you wanted to show me?”
Charles exhaled, leaning back in his chair before gesturing to the coffee table in front of me. A neat stack of files lay there, thick and weighty with information.
“Open them,” he instructed simply.
I glanced at him before reaching for the files, flipping the first one open. My brows furrowed as I scanned the documents inside. Deeds. Contracts. Bank records.
My heart stilled.
“What… is this?” I asked slowly, looking up at him.
Charles smirked, sipping his whiskey before replying. “These,” he said, tapping a finger against the papers, “are the real ownership documents of your father’s empire. The properties, businesses, offshore accounts—everything that Bianca and Leonardo have been desperately trying to get their hands on.”
My grip on the papers tightened. These was what they wanted. The power they wanted to gain power of.
“That’s not possible,” I murmured. “Luciano has all of these. He—”
Charles let out a short laugh, shaking his head. “Luciano thinks he has them,” he corrected. “But let’s just say… it’s not difficult for me to get my hands on what I want.”
I inhaled sharply, my heartbeat loud in my ears. How could he get these? And was Luciano aware of everything happening? What was going on ? Was he also involved in my father’s murder?
Everything.
Everything my father built, everything that was stolen from me and Vladimir—it was right in front of me.
Charles leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he spoke. “Everything belongs to you and your brother, Adeline. And it’s time you start owning it.”
I stared down at the documents, my fingers tightening on the edges. My mind was in turmoil. Was this really happening?
I swallowed, closing the files abruptly.
“And why exactly are you giving these to me?” I asked, my voice low.
Charles chuckled. “Oh, don’t get me wrong, sweetheart. This isn’t charity. This is just… shifting the board in our favor.”
Before I could question him further, he reached into a drawer and pulled out another set of papers—only these weren’t documents.
They were photographs.
I frowned and waited for him to throw another bomb on my head. He looked like someone who had succeeded in everything, in his revenge.
He tossed them onto the coffee table, the glossy images sliding across the surface.
As soon as my gaze fell on them, my breath caught in my throat.
My blood turned boiling hot as I took in the images—Bianca and Leonardo, in intimate moments, their betrayal captured in crystal-clear detail. The way they touched, the way they looked at each other, the way they schemed.
My fingers trembled as I picked one up. It was the moment, I realized that I already knew about their affair. The memories of when Bianca always sided with Leonardo and always was frank with him, made me nauseous. That woman had the audacity to ruin us all and still live like a sympathetic woman who lost her everything.
The photographs……
But seeing it? That was different. That made it real.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain composed, though the rage inside me burned like a wildfire.
Charles watched my reaction with amusement. A glimmer of satisfaction burning in his eyes like a burning star.
“You should breathe, sweetheart,” he murmured. “You’re turning red.”
I ignored him, placing the photos down carefully before looking up at him, my dark eyes sharp as daggers.
“Why are you helping me?” I asked, my voice laced with suspicion. I wanted to know what he was gaining through all this? Gaining by helping us? Gaining by ruining them?
“What do you have against Luciano?”
At that, Charles’ smirk deepened. He leaned back in his chair, tilting his head slightly as if considering his answer. “Now that,” he mused, “is a long story for another time.”
My jaw clenched. “You expect me to trust you without knowing your real motives?”
“Oh no,” he said with a grin, setting his whiskey glass down.
“I don’t expect you to trust me, Adeline. But you don’t have to trust me to work with me. Our goals… align.”
I narrowed my eyes. “And what goal is that?”
Charles’ smirk faded slightly, his green eyes darkening.
“To burn the people who betrayed you,” he said simply. “To take everything back. To destroy them all.”
I exhaled, leaning back against the couch.
The weight of everything crashed onto me at once—my father’s stolen empire, the lies, the betrayals, everything.
I looked down at the papers again, my mind running in circles.
Then Charles’ voice cut through the silence.
“They think they’re playing a game of power,” he said smoothly, his eyes glinting with dangerous amusement.
“But what they don’t realize… is that they’re all just pawns on our board now.”
I met his gaze.
And for the first time in a long time… I felt the fire of control burn inside me again.
Pawns of my game and I will make sure …… they suffer as much as the KING suffered.